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Kamara scores late on free kick as Sporting Kansas City beat Toronto FC

TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 18: Doneil Henry #4 of Toronto FC battles for the ball with Roger Espinoza #15 of Sporting Kansas City during MLS action at BMO Field August 18, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

TORONTO — Kei Kamara scored late on a set piece as Sporting Kansas City defeated Toronto FC 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.

Dead ball situations have been Toronto’s Achilles heel as of late and Kansas City made them pay once again in the 83rd minute.

Kamara blasted in a free kick that went off ‘keeper Milos Kocic’s finger tips and into the bottom right corner of the net.

Eastern Conference-leading Kansas City (14-7-4) won its third straight MLS game and is now unbeaten in five games overall.

Toronto, meanwhile, remains dead last in the Eastern Conference at 5-14-5 and is winless in its last four MLS games.

TFC came out strong in the second half as Eric Hassli immediately went to work fighting off defenders and battling for possession in the box only to be shown a yellow card for his tenacious efforts. The physical French striker opened his TFC account with goal against Portland on Wednesday.

He was almost got his second in the 54th with a flick off Ryan Johnson’s cross, but the ball rolled a foot wide of the right post.

With many TFC players coming off mid-week international duty and legs looking tired, the pace slowed down with 30 minutes left to play.

Johnson woke up Kansas City ‘keeper Jimmy Nielsen in the 70th when he headed a service pass from captain Torsten Frings just up slightly over the bar.

The game got off to a chippy start with two yellows in the first 15 minutes. Frings earned a yellow in the eighth by tackling a driving Graham Zusi from behind. The resulting free kick — an early test to Toronto’s recent commitment to defend on set pieces — was blocked handily.

Four minutes later SKC defender Aurelien Collin was shown a yellow for a bad foul, but Frings couldn’t connect on the free kick from outside the box.

In the 19th Sporting defender Seth Sinovic fired an ambitiously long-range shot from outside the box that found a clear path, though Kocic proved up to the task.

Kocic made a dazzling save in the 30th off a blazing right-footed shot from Kamara and then four minutes later stifled a charging Teal Bunbury that had the crowd roaring. The Hamilton-born forward was booed mercilessly, as locals continue to display their scorn for his decision to play for the U.S. national team.

Toronto had several corner kick chances toward the end of the first half and came close with a Terry Dunfield header that Nielsen tipped just inches over the crossbar.

Kocic finished the half with five saves.

Irish defender Darren O’Dea looked lively in his debut, despite having played an international friendly in Belgrade just three days earlier.

O’Dea, who has 14 caps for Ireland and spent six seasons with Scottish League perennials Celtic, was signed Aug. 3.